Mind Tricks
by EternaLei
Summary: (Chrestomanci) Anthony and Eleanor are sent to live with relatives in the country when their father goes off to the war. But fate, magic, and the little town of Wolvercote hold many surprises...
1. A Peculiar Welcome

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrestomanci, nor any of Diana Wynne Jones' characters, worlds, or ideas. I respect all the copyrights of Ms. Jones and HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

A/N: This story takes place 15-20 years after Charmed Life. Since industrial development seems to happen much slower in Chrestomanci's world on account of magic replacing technology, the setting will still appear like the early 20th century. I appreciate all concrit as I'm trying to become a better writer. Thank you!

_**Mind Tricks**_

by Lei

Eleanor and Anthony were both thirteen when they were sent away from the city on account of the war. Eleanor didn't seem to mind, though it was hard to tell with Eleanor. Anthony was quite put out, on the other hand, and made no effort to hide his resentment. He scowled the entire train ride out of London, hands shoved deep into his trouser pockets as he glared at Eleanor's stitching. She was sewing buttons back on to his old trousers and mending other various articles of clothing, then folding them back into their suitcases once she'd finished. Once one garment was fixed, another was drawn out. She'd been at it for what seemed like hours, and Anthony found it positively mind-numbing.

He resorted to staring out the window. Trees... fields... hills... trees... fields... hills.... his scowl deepened. Anthony liked living in the city. After school he and the other boys would run through the streets, playing foot and racing each other. Sometimes he and Robbie would go down to the train tracks and flatten halfpennies by placing them on the rails right before a train came through. Both Anthony and Robbie's parents had explicitly banned them form partaking in this activity, which had naturally made it their favorite game. Robbie, Lawrence, Will, Harold - all of them back behind them now. No playing foot in the streets, or bewitching Ruth Madison's inkwell to slowly dribble down the back of her dress...

When rumors started spreading the the war may come to England, Mum and Father began to whisper hushedly after Eleanor and Anthony were sent to bed. When they got the notice that Father was going to be sent across the channel, there was no more whispering. They came right out to tell the twins that they were going to be sent to live with their Aunt Virginia in some town Anthony couldn't remember the name of. Wolverine or something like that. Eleanor took this in the annoyingly calm way Eleanor took everything.

Anthony, on the other hand, protested extensively. "Robbie's parents aren't sending him away!" he'd argued. "The war's still mostly in the east! It probably won't even come to England!" Mum had only replied to this by muttering about Robbie not being mumble mumble, and suggesting that Anthony shouldn't forget to dress in layers on the train ride in case he got cold. "I didn't even know we _had_ an Aunt Virginia!" he'd continued.

Mother had sighed and stopped packing his trunk. "Look, darling, with your father going off to France, he won't be keeping up his practice." Father was a healer and worked as a medic in the army. To pay the bills, however, he ran a medical practice as a certified healer, mending broken bones, cracked skulls and all manner of maladies. "With him gone, there's only so much I can bring in to pay the bills. Virginia, bless her heart, has offered to take you in for free until this whole war business blows over. You should be very thankful." She turned away and continued to put Anthony's socks and trousers into the trunk, though not before he caught sight of the tears welling up in her eyes. He stopped complaining quite so loudly after that.

He was still miserable, however. This train was dull, the country was going to be dull, and he could only imagine the dullness that would be Aunt Virginia. He had a horrible image in his mind of a starched and ironed old woman pinching his cheeks and cooing over what a big boy he was.

_It won't be that bad. _Eleanor finally looked up from her stitching with a reproachful look.

"Oh yes it will. You just watch." Anthony loved his sister dearly, but right now he was irate with her. Eleanor didn't play in the streets and she had no friends - she wouldn't miss the city. It wouldn't matter to her whether she was in London or the West Indies as long as there were books nearby.

She pushed her slender wire-rimmed classes up her thin and bony nose, glaring at him with gray eyes identical to his own. _She is a witch, you know._

"So's everybody else in the family!" Anthony exclaimed. It was true... Father was a healer, Mum was a smalltime diviner, Cousin Ethel was on her way to being a talented sorceress, and Uncle Mervin was a thaumaturg of some repute. All of their other relations' faces melded together in his mind, as did their names, but there was something magical about all of them. Anthony and his sister were both very skilled at magic. Both had been placed in their advanced magic class at school. One of their instructors even suggested that the two might be enchanters, though he took it back after Robbie and Anthony bewitched his trousers to split all their seams in the back.

Eleanor gave him a cold glare. _Look, you might as well just look on the bright side of things. We'll be living in the country until the war's over, and the Germans won't stop attacking just because you threw a fit over it._

"I'm not throwing a fit!" he cried, then realized the volume to which his voice had risen with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, it's just... I miss it already."

His sister's cold practicality relented. _I know, _she replied with a motherly look. Though Anthony was always being told to take care of his poor sister, more often than not it was her calm reasoning that took care of him. _Once we get settled in, I'll help you check on things._

"Thanks."

_Now pass me your jacket – that hole in the shoulder is bothering me to no end..._

_---_

_Wake up!_

Anthony woke to Eleanor shaking him, looking quite exasperated.

"What, are we there already?" he asked groggily. He hadn't realized he'd dozed off.

_Yes, we're stopped in Wolvercote, now help me carry everything! _

He sighed and stood up, stretching. In the last year he'd shot up in height and was now a full tenth of a meter taller than his sister. Both he and Eleanor had wiry builds, however, and with his new earned height came the awkward lankiness of adolescence. He grasped the handles of both their trunks as Eleanor picked up and carried the smaller bags and their coats. Sliding open the compartment door, he lead the way down the train to the doorway, then stepped off the train on to the crowded platform. The noise was deafening and he couldn't even hear himself think. He had to push rather roughly through the throng of people just to get away from the train and to a place where he could breathe.

"Now what?" he murmured to Eleanor as soon as they'd reached a place where they could hear one another over the hubbub.

_Now we wait. Mum said she'd written to Aunt Virginia and she'd said someone would be here to meet us. _Eleanor adjusted her spectacles again and pushed a loose bit of brown hair behind her ear. Anthony's arms were getting tired, so he set down their trunks and sat on his. His sister did likewise and they waited. And waited. A while later the whistle blew, the train left, and the crowd on the platform dispersed until they were the only two remaining. He chewed his lip and bounced his knee anxiously. And waited.

"Do you think she forgot?"

Eleanor shrugged. It was an unladylike habit the school teachers would have chided her for. Of course, Eleanor wasn't much of a lady. Her books and her magic took a back seat to making any sort of impression.

"Maybe they got the days mixed up, or the hours..."

Eleanor shrugged again. Anthony was quiet for a few minutes, but the silence was unnerving.

"We _are_ in Wolverine, or whatever the town is, aren't we?"

Eleanor shot him a look of disgust, then pointed. He turned to where she indicated and saw a sign: WOLVERCOTE STATION.

"Oh. I suppose they forgot then."

The shadows were getting longer. It had been roughly three in the afternoon when they'd stepped off the train and now it was getting on near supper time. The growling in his stomach reminded Anthony that he hadn't had tea time... Every now and then a station guard would walk by and give them a funny look. He slouched over and put his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands. Someone had dropped a bread crust, and several ants were now examining it with a care that reminded him of the way father examined his patients. With a pang, he realized he missed father, with his blue eyes that crinkled around the edges when he smiled, and the rough texture of his whiskers...

"Er, would you two be the Legerdemains?"

Anthony was jolted out of his sulking at the voice,and tore his gaze form the ants. Standing over them was a man in a constable's uniform. For a moment Anthony was afraid he'd arrest them for loitering, then he realized he'd called them by name.

_Yes, we are,_ Eleanor responded. The constable jumped. Eleanor often had that effect on people who weren't used to people speaking directly into their minds.

"Er, well then." The constable regained his composure, looking guilty. "Er, I'm afraid I have some very bad news for the two of you... Very unfortunate, very sorry..."

She was sending them back. She'd forgotten and gone off somewhere. Something had happened to Mum. A dozen different possibilities made Anthony's stomach tie itself into knots...

The constable coughed uncomfortably. "... Your Aunt Virginia's passed away."

----

A/N : Me again! Would anyone out there be so kind as to beta for me, or refer me to a beta? I haven't been able to find anyone I know who is familiar with the Chrestomanci books. Infinite hugs to anyone who does!


	2. Wolvercote

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Ms. Jones' characters, worlds, or plot devices.

A/N: Again, all concrit is welcome! I encourage you to be as harsh as you can!

"Dead!" Anthony stared at the constable. He suddenly felt horribly guilty. He'd probably get his wish and be sent back to London all right, but he felt as if his Great-Aunt's death was partially his fault. It was a silly sentiment - he hadn't had anything to do with it.

Had he?

"I'm afraid so," the constable replied. "Terribly sorry you had to find out this way... and that you had to wait here so long. The mayor sent word and wishes for you to stay with him until he gets a wire off to your parents."

_A wire hasn't been sent yet?_ Eleanor looked puzzled.

He shook his head. "Nay, some spell's been making things go haywire. Bloody inconsiderate if you ask me-" he stopped suddenly, looking guilty. "Nevermind that, I'll take your things for you. Follow me!" He hoisted up both of their trunks with his meaty arms. The constable was a thick man, a little on the plumper side, though his sausage-like arms were clearly full of muscle. Anthony and Eleanor shot each other looks, then followed him out of the station and down to an automobile that sat huffing and coughing on the street. The constable gave their things to the chauffeur, who loaded them on to the back of the vehicle. This made Anthony rather uncomfortable - having other people do work for him as though he were a prince made his guilt multiply in leaps and bounds. He didn't deserve this royal treatment, this leather upholstery, this luxurious transport. He was a brat from London who bewitched his professor's trousers!

_What's wrong?_

He and Eleanor were now both sitting in the back seat of the automobile. The sides were paneled in beautiful shining wood, and the seats were a burgundy leather that he felt almost afraid to sit on, lest he somehow tore it. It smelled like exhaust.

"What's wrong?" He hissed. "We've been sent off to the middle-of-nowhere to live with an estranged relative who's gone and kicked the bucket! They can't get a wire out and we're stuck here!"

She blinked. The way her glasses magnified her eyes made her look very owlish. _You didn't do anything. I'd have felt it if you had, so you can stop feeling guilty._

"You're such a comfort," he replied sarcastically. Eleanor could be very unnerving at times. "but we're still stranded in Wolverine or whatever."

_Wolvercote._

He couldn't think of anything biting to say, so he resorted to looking out the window at the shops and street signs flashing by. There were people too, but he never got to see their faces. Their garments were colored blurs as the car roared and lurched along. His stomach flipped in the most unpleasant way every time they turned a corner. This was odd as he didn't normally get motion sickness, but he supposed it might have something to do with the fumes from the auto. Whatever it was, he was very thankful when they came to a stop before a large white house with green trim.

"'Ere you go, young master and miss," said the chauffeur in a very old-fashioned manner, leaping out and opening the door for the two children. "Right up this way - don't worry 'bout your things, they'll be all taken care of." Anthony clambered out of the car, glad that it was no longer lurching through the winding roads. Eleanor came down with a bit more grace, smoothing out the dark-blue material of her skirt. The Chauffeur had rushed ahead to ring the bell of the house. A moment later the great green door swung open and a smartly-dressed older man with bushy white whiskers and a round, grandfatherly countenance walked out with a welcoming smile on his face. The smiled dropped slightly, as though in disappointment, when he spotted the twins.

"Are you two the Legerdemain children?" he queried. Anthony assumed this man was the mayor and felt rather embarrassed.

"Yes sir." He understood why the mayor seemed so disappointed. Neither of them were very attractive children. They were both quite plain with lanky, mostly-straight neutral brown hair (Eleanor's had a bit of wave to it, which was just enough to make it prone to tangles). They were pale with pinched faces and long noses, and while Anthony was lanky and awkward, Eleanor was short and bony with a slight thickness about her middle where vestiges of baby-fat still clung.

Thankfully, the disappointed look lasted only a moment. "Oh good! We were rather worried when we realized your train had already come in. You did just the right thing staying put! Oh, do come in! I'm so sorry, this must be such a shock for you both, with your dear Aunt Virginia's passing. Come in and Mrs. Green will make you tea..." He hurriedly held open the door and they obliged him by entering. The chauffeur brought in their trunks then departed with a smart salute.

The house was very clean and very large. Back home things were tidy, but in a homey, lived-in way. Here everything was dusted until it gleamed. A chandelier hung above with little pieces of glass refracting the light from the candles on to the walls. Anthony only had a moment to wonder at it before they were ushered into the drawing room. Tea was brought, though ti was a small affair, being so near to supper. He sipped at his cup and nibbled on one of the cakes, which was very sweet. _Too sweet._ Eleanor pushed her cake away with mild distaste, thought she drank all her tea.

The mayor, a Mr. Greene who'd been in office for 10 years now, chatted amiably with them and rambled on about what a lovely woman their Aunt Virginia was and what a magnificent with she'd been and how much she'd be missed and so on and so forth. Anthony felt particularly guilty about thinking of her pinching his cheeks. She sounded like a saint and he was pretty sure saints weren't ones for cheek-pinching.

_Ask him how she died._

Anthony was curious why Eleanor didn't ask him herself, but then he remembered the constable's reaction. He did as she asked and posed the question. "Was her passing... easy?"

"Oh yes," the mayor assured him. "Died in her sleep, all peaceful-like. They found her with a smile on her face when they went to wake her, so don't you fret," he continued, eyes looking a little moist. Eleanor looked sheepish. Both of them felt strange, being the flesh and blood of Aunt Virginia and hardly batting an eye at the news of her death while her neighbors wept and sang her praises. Anthony argues with himself that it was _their_ fault they'd never known her, but it did little to alleviate the awkwardness. The strangeness in the room was only broken by the arrival of the mayor's wife, Mrs. Greene - a kindly old lady in frilly white lace (the cheek-pinching type) who announced that supper was ready.

The dining room was equally clean and richly laid-old. The silverware was real silver, Anthony noticed, and the plates were hand-painted china. It almost made him afraid to eat off them, especially with the memory of accidentally shattering one of mother's china cups when he was five. He ate very carefully, not letting his spoon so much as scrape the sides of his bowl and he eagerly ate his soup. The soup was excellent, as was the rich rye bread and the other dishes in silver tureens and trays that were passed along. Mrs. Greene chattered on and on about what a lovely little town Wolvercote was and what a dear Virginia'd been, and how wonderful it would be to have children in the house again, if just for the day. She then went on to talk about all of her children and their children, and the life history of every member in her family tree. Anthony and Eleanor smiled and tried not to slurp when they ate. The food was so delicious it almost took their minds off the fact they were in the house of complete strangers miles from their parents.

"So, dearie," said Mrs. Greene. She was one of those people who called everyone dearie, which Eleanor later suggested to Anthony was probably because she couldn't remember their real names. At the moment, the dearie in question was Eleanor. "Tell me about yourself! Where do you two go to school? What are your favorite things to do?"

Eleanor looked meaningfully at Anthony, apparently wishing to remain silent.

"Er, Eleanor's mute, Ma'am," Anthony explained apologetically. "Though we both go to Tirrelson Grammar School in London. Eleanor likes to read and I play foot," he hastened to add, not wanting to make Mrs. Greene uncomfortable. She seemed nice, even if she was the cheek-pinching type.

She looked alarmed. "Oh, poor dear! Well don't you worry, we've got plenty of books!I don't know how many children's stories we have though... dear me..."

"Oh don't worry, she reads everything!" Anthony assured her. This was not entirely true - Eleanor absolutely drew the line at girly stories about girly girls at their girly schools. She preferred nice big tomes of morbid history. He was sure Eleanor would be plenty happy with whatever dull fare the mayor's library might provide. He wondered if there were any boys in Wolvercote who played foot...

"That's a relief!" Mrs. Greene smiled, and when she did the skin around her eyes crinkled pleasantly. After they'd finished the butler took the dishes away and Mrs. Greene showed them the guest room. An extra cot had been set up in a bit of a rush, but it was made with crisp clean sheets. Anthony offered to take it while Eleanor dropped on to the queen-sized guest bed., unlacing her boots and kicking them off.

"How come you didn't say anything?" he demanded, a tad irritably.

_It bothers people sometimes. Besides, I'm uncomfortable here. _She rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling.

"You look pretty comfortable to me."

_You don't have to wear a dress._

"Oh, goodnight!"

-

The next morning was Virginia's funeral. Neither of the children had mourning clothes, so Mrs. Greene went through old chests of her children and grandchildren's old clothes and found two outfits roughly their size. Roughly, because Anthony's suit was too short for his gangly limbs and tight about his neck, and Eleanor's dress was a bit tight at the waist and hung loosely everywhere else. She obviously didn't have the figure the dress' original occupant had been blessed with. Anthony couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the powerful smell of mothballs emanating from the garments. The four of them solemnly piled into the elegant and noxious car which bumped through the streets all the way to the church.

Anthony stared off into space throughout most of the funeral. The pews were a sea of black, and the crying was nearly as loud as the organ music. His eyes rested on the coffin, which was closed but bore a picture of a smiling woman in a white dress on top of it - presumably Aunt Virginia in her younger years. The service was long and dull, and afterwards they were escorted to the burial. Anthony's eyes watered from the bright August sun reflecting off the shiny surface of the coffin, and everyone assumed he was crying. Eleanor had her thoughtful face on, which make her look very somber. When they left the cemetery a vast number of older women and blustery figures gave them their condolences and large, stifling hugs. They both looked appropriately grieved and bore it all the way back to the Mayor's house. Once home, there was a very solemn lunch, and the twins retired to their room to change out of the black mothball clothes.

"Good God!" Anthony exclaimed, flopping backwards on to his cot. It creaked under his weight. "Good God! he repeated.

_I'm suffocating!_ Eleanor grumbled, fumbling with the buttons of her dress.

"I mean, there's only so much mourning you can do for somebody you've never met! It's like they all expect us to go leap off a cliff in our grief!" He was now picking at his tie, trying to get it off and out of its knot. Eleanor had now wrestled off the dress and was tackling the petticoats.

_On the bright side, having the sympathy of an entire town can be very useful._

"That's true." He'd given up on undoing the knot and merely loosened the tie enough to pull it off over his head. The rest of the clothes were much easier to get out of. By now she'd changed into her plain blue dress and was buttoning it up the front.

_Have they gotten a wire out yet?_

"Don't think so."

_Let's see what news is on the radio..._

During supper a small radio had been placed in their room for entertainment. Eleanor stuck her tongue out slightly as she fiddled with the knobs, which alternately let out high mechanic squeals and bursts of fuzzy static.

"_Crrrrrrrksh...Occupation_ of France is _Cccrrrrckksshhh_ English troops now _Crrrkkksshhhh_..."

"I don't want to hear about the war," Anthony said morosely. He was happier not knowing. "You said you'd help me check home..."

_We'll do it tonight when everyone's gone to bed._

"I'm bored. Want to go out?"

_You're always bored. Why don't you read a book?_ Despite her argument, Eleanor had reached for her boots and started to lace them up. Anthony grinned and tugged on his own shoes. They both thundered down the stairs and nearly ran into Mrs. Greene in the hall.

"Where are you dears going?" she asked, looking rather surprised.

"Out for a bit of fresh air," Anthony told her.

"Well be sure you have hats! Here, Eleanor, dearie, I've got one just right for you..." She hurried off and came back a moment later with a very silly looking blue hat with great frills of cloth and ribbons bedecking it. Eleanor smiled and nodded in gratitude, and they slipped out the door. She immediately disposed of the hat in the flower bed and they went on to walk through the cobbled streets.

It was ironically sunny and cheerful out. The temperature was warm, but with a slight breeze that kept it from being hot. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating big fluffy clouds that reminded Anthony of the cotton candy sometimes sold on the street corners for a penny a stick. It was a small and lazy town. While Anthony was accustomed to carriages and wagons and cars zooming past and throngs of people hurrying to and fro, they only passed one automobile and two wagons, and all the passersby were in no hurry to get to wherever they were going and nodded to the children with smiles. It seemed the pleasantness of the day and the brightness of the sun had seared away the sorrow of the funeral, and all the people were functioning normally. A baker was making bread, a shopkeeper was sweeping the street outside his window, and a grocer was selling groceries to a young woman in a white dress. The town was so relaxed it was beginning to make Anthony sleepy.

_Anthony?_

"Yes?" he stifled a yawn. The woman with the groceries walked out of the shop and gave him an odd look.

_Nevermind._

"Suit yourself," he replied. The woman gave him a quite incredulous look and flounced off in the opposite direction.

Five minutes later: _Anthony?_

"What?"

_Have you noticed anything strange?_

"You mean other than the looks people give me when I appear to be talking to myself?" He replied, voice coated in oily sarcasm.

_It's your own bloody fault for not trying to learn telepathy. You could pick it up if you weren't so lazy. And yes, besides that._ Eleanor was unphased.

"No, not really."

_Yes you do._

"No, I don't."

_Focus on the magic._

"What magic? I don't feel any magic!" he erupted.

_Exactly!_ Eleanor looked momentarily exultant, then became thoughtful once more. _I mean, there's magic here, but there's comparatively so little of it..._

"It's a small town," Anthony argued. "There's not so many people. It's natural there'd be less magic"

_Anthony, we're standing at the end of Coven Street. Are you telling me it's natural that there's not a spell here?_

He had no reply for that. Eleanor adjusted her glasses and tugged on a lock of her hair as they walked down the street. It wasn't as welcoming at the rest of the town. Most of the signs were chipped and faded and a few windows were boarded up. A quietness permeated the street, which made Anthony uneasy until he realized it was just that the wind had died down.

_I'm going to go find the town library,_ Eleanor proclaimed. _I'll meet you back at the Greene's by tea-time. _

Anthony opened his mouth to protest as she turned to leave. Annoying, cold, and strange as Eleanor could be, he felt very protective of her. Having a mute sister meant everyone always assumed she needed taking care of, and that Anthony was the one who had to take care of her. But Eleanor could take care of herself, and besides, he didn't want her to think he felt nervous walking down Coven street alone. "- All right. See you back there, then." She was already halfway down the block, her boots clicking on the cobbles. He felt rather silly for the next ten minutes, but then he found a group of boys playing foot. They amiably let him join the game and he scored three goals between two designated fence posts, earning his team a win. He'd almost lost track of time when his new friends were called in for tea. He hurried back to the mayor's house and washed up quickly. They had tea, after which Eleanor disappeared for some time. Anthony returned to his room and tried listening to the radio, but it refused to function. He eventually resorted to reading one of Eleanor's dry and morbid history books. He was half-asleep a few hours later when she stormed in.

_I knew it! _She crowed as soon as she shut the door behind him.

"Knew what?"

_Something happened to make the magic go out of Wolvercote._

"But the magic didn't go out of it - there's still some here! Just less of it," he retorted. Not that he knew why - Eleanor was impossible to argue with.

_Yes, but I checked the library records, and nearly all the registered and certified magic-users either moved here within the last seventeen years, or would have been quite young seventeen years ago. Also, sixteen years ago a number of witches' certifications expired and were never renewed!_

"So?" Anthony demanded crossly. His mind was still on foot, replaying his fabulous goals. Maybe he'd go out and play again after supper...

_Something happened seventeen years ago that sucked the magic out of a whole crop of people!_

"That sounds like a load of-"

He was cut off by Mrs. Greene's announcement of dinner being ready. They shot each other looks, then hurried down to supper.


	3. The Visitor

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to _The Chronicles of Chrestomanci_ or any of the other products of DWJ's genius.

A/N: Still open to concrit, particularly on the character development. All comments are appreciated! Special thanks to Alliryan for being my most wonderful beta-reader!

-

Supper with the Greenes went very much as it had the previous night. Mrs. Greene chatted amiably and the mayor nodded and commented now and then, with Anthony responding for both himself and Eleanor. He rather wished Eleanor would just say things herself - she was so much better with words, and even when she told him what to say he often garbled it up. He vented his frustration on his breaded chicken, going after it with a knife, a fork, and a vengeance. The Greenes were pleasant, polite, and unbelievably boring. They talked about the weather, family members, a few relations of the twins they'd never known existed, the weather again, Mr. Greene's trip to Scotland last summer and a number of other dull topics. Anthony nodded and politely half-listened until he wanted to scream.

He was saved at last when the butler entered and spoke quietly with Mr. Greene. Probably more boring news, but Anthony strained to hear anyway. Anything had to be more interesting than the river trip Mrs. Greene had once taken with her cousin Emmauline.

"... Visitor in the drawing room for you sir."

The mayor looked surprised. "Well can he wait until after supper?"

"It's the gentleman from the hill, sir." The way the butler said it made this 'gentleman from the hill' sound dreadfully important.

The mayor's look of surprise turned to alarm. "Oh! Yes, well, I'll be right in..." He pushed out of his chair and nodded meaningfully to them all, hurrying out of the dining room. Mrs. Greene sighed.

"I suppose we'll skip dessert tonight. Well, if you're all finished, you can go ahead to the parlour! I've set out some nice books for you, Eleanor!" She looked so happy about it they both complied, even though Anthony had still been eating.

"Who's the gentleman from the hill?" Anthony asked Eleanor as soon as they were out of earshot.

_Haven't a clue. But he sounds quite important. I find it strange they didn't use his name..._

"Maybe it's the king?"

_Don't be stupid. The king doesn't live on a hill, and why would he be calling on the mayor of Wolvercote anyway?_

Her scornful tone made Anthony's cheeks burn. It was odd how many of their conversations went like this. A stranger might have thought they despised each other were he simply to listen to them. Of course, were he simply listening, he'd only hear half the conversation.

_Ugh._ They'd reached the parlour. Eleanor's mental exclamation of disgust was due to the books on the coffee table. Girly books. _Who on earth would want to read tis dreck? _

She sat down on the floor and dug through the stacks of books. Not all of them were bad, Anthony noticed as he too sat down on the carpet. He recognized quite a few good ones. 'Treasure Island' looked quite promising, as did 'The Time Machine'. Though anything with a girl's name in it was probably as much dreck as Eleanor accused it of being. She finally settled on a retelling of the French victory at Agincourt, and Anthony picked up 'The Time Machine'.

He was certain it would be interesting if he kept at it, but the first few pages were full of flowery prose that only served to confuse him. His mind drifted back to the subject of foot as he read the same paragraph over and over, his glazed eye following but not comprehending the Time Traveler's explanation of time being the fourth dimension, and how a cube could not exist instantaneously. It made his head hurt - Eleanor would have loved it.

"Who do you suppose it is then?" he demanded, lowering the book to his lap.

She shrugged, not bothering to look up. The drawing room was the next room over and he could hear the sound of voices, but they were muffled and incomprehensible.

"Do you think it may have to do with the war?"

_Oh, lay off it. It's probably some bureaucrat with a money problem he's so embarrassed about he won't even use his real name._

This explained the butler's reference to 'the gentleman from the hill', but not the alarm on the mayor's face. A scandal, maybe? Anthony liked hearing about scandals.

"I'm going to listen."

_You better not get caught._

"I won't get in trouble! They never banned me from using magic. Nobody told me I couldn't, so they technically have no grounds to punish me on. And besides - they won't catch me."

_Cheeky._

"You going to help?"

She sighed and set the book down. Biting her lip, she scanned the table then snatched up two silver coasters. She laid one on top of the other with her handkerchief between them. _There._

They joined hands. Anthony could do spells on his own quite well, as could Eleanor, but things always seemed to come out a little better when they did them together. Both closing their eyes, they let their magic loose. It was like exhaling - they didn't need to coax it out with incantations or rituals - it simply poured out into the coasters and handkerchief. _Make noise,_ he told it. _Carry their voices... just their voices._

"-Have you tried Tuscany? I'm sure that in Caprona-"

That was the mayor's voice, emitting with perfect clarity from between the coasters. The twins smiled at their handiwork.

"-You think I haven't tried Caprona? The best of the Montanas and the Petrocchis are at the front in Friuli-Venezia Guilia. The war's shunting everything else back..."

More talk about the war. The second voice was one he didn't recognize, so Anthony assumed it was the mayor's mysterious guest. His voice was crisp and educated sounding.

"You've looked everywhere?"

"Of course I've looked everywhere. And now with Virginia's passing we've been set back even further."

Anthony and Eleanor exchanged alarmed looks. What did Aunt Virginia have to do with the war?

"Well, I'll talk to Gertie and we'll see if we can find anything. We're just going to have to be patient-"

"We can't afford patience, we haven't got the time!" interrupted the stranger's voice. "I've only got two left and with a crisis like this there's no telling how long they'll last. We've checked every series and patrolled the edge, but every time we think we've got one, they vanish." He sounded very annoyed. Anthony wished he had the slightest idea what the man was talking about.

"You think someone's trying to keep you from finding them?"

"I _know_ someone's trying to keep me from finding them. We nearly had a lock on something a few days ago when a spell knocked all the power clean out of the castle."

The mayor coughed. "Yes, about that... when will you have it fixed? I really need to get a wire out and the magic's interfering with everything..."

"Oh. Dreadfully sorry." the stranger sounded very sheepish.

"Don't worry. I merely need to get a message off to the children's mother and I-"

"-Hold on a moment."

There was a sound of footsteps. Anthony frowned. They'd only magicked the coasters to magnify the sound of voices...

Eleanor let out a squeak. Anthony looked up just in time to see the drawing room doors swing open, revealing a tall figure in a blue velvet suit. They'd been caught. He scrambled to shove the charmed coasters behind him and make it look like they hadn't been doing anything. He opened his mouth to make up some wild excuse for something - anything - but the man in the doorway spoke first:

"Hello, Anthony and Eleanor. Why don't you come in so you can participate in the discussion rather than spying on it?"

-

For a moment Anthony merely sat with his mouth hanging open. The stranger was quite a sight to behold - His blonde hair was perfectly combed and trimmed about his handsome face and his blue eyes were positively penetrating. His clothing had to be of the finest quality available with buttons Anthony was certain were real gold. He appeared quite tall, though this may have been due to his slenderness.

Anthony had been right - _clearly_ this was a Very Important Person.

Eleanor obliged him first by standing up and brushing off her dress, looking quite embarrassed. Anthony did likewise, waving a hand behind his back to take the charm off the coasters.

"Come now, I'm sure the chairs in here will be more comfortable than the floor in there," the stranger said calmly. Anthony scuffed his foot on the ground, wondering if he was going to be reprimanded.

"... I don't bite," the stranger added with a smile. Eleanor walked forward and Anthony followed her.

There was a fire in the drawing room hearth despite it being summertime. This made the room very warm, but not unpleasantly so. The tall man sat down in an armchair facing the fire and gestured to a nearby loveseat. They sat in it and sank deep into the squashy cushions. There was complete silence in the room for a moment.

"I noticed you were using magic in the other room to listen to Mr. Greene and myself. What spell did you cast?"

Anthony was not expecting this question. "Er, we, well, it wasn't any specific spell I don't think... I guess we made it up," he lamely explained.

The stranger's shapely eyebrows shot up. "Really? Fascinating!" Anthony searched his tone for sarcasm or insincerity, but the stranger appeared genuinely interested. He even leaned forward in his chair slightly. "You both do magic, then?"

_Yes._ The stranger and Anthony both jumped while the mayor looked slightly confused at their behavior. Eleanor apparently hadn't sent her thoughts into his mind - merely those of the stranger and her brother. The stranger peered at her with surprising intensity, leaning forward even further.

"You're a telepath?"

_Yes._

"How spectacular," he murmured, rubbing his chin. "Was it acquired, or naturally occurring?"

_Naturally occurring._ Eleanor informed him factually, as if this was the most normal conversation and situation in the world, her small white hands folded in her lap. _I was born with a deformed larynx, then started communicating mentally around the time Anthony started to talk. First in pictures, then in words. I learned signs too, but projection's more effective._

"And can you communicate with more than one person at a time?" The stranger asked. Anthony was beginning to feel a little dejected and unappreciated. He was just as talented as Eleanor, even if he wasn't as book smart.

_Yes. I''m communicating with both you and Anthony. Anthony's the easiest to talk to. The more people there are the trickier it is - I've never tried more than half a dozen or so at once. _

"Fascinating," the stranger repeated. "What are your other magical abilities? The both of you, of course..."

"Lots of things," Anthony assured him, finally having a chance to pipe in. "Eleanor's quite good at magical theory, I'm a bit more into practical magic."

"And what methods do you use?" The stranger looked very interested with the topic. Anthony suspected he was a wizard. Maybe even a magician...

_We're... unorthodox._ Eleanor chewed her lip and adjusted her glasses with her forefinger. _We don't use incantations or rituals... I can't sing a spell to save my life, rather obviously. We just... do magic._ She left it at that and Anthony couldn't think of anything to add. The stranger looked thoughtful.

"Pardon me, sir," Anthony ventured after a moment. " But... who _are_ you?"

This jerked the stranger out of his reverie. He looked rather shocked. "Have I not introduced myself? I'm so terribly sorry, I've been a bit preoccupied of late. Chrestomanci," he said, reaching out to shake Anthony's hand.

Anthony's jaw dropped as his hand was pumped up and down by Chrestomanci's grip. "_The _Chrestomanci?"

"Yes, the one and only." Chrestomanci smiled and for a moment turned slightly red about the cheeks. Anthony was dumbstruck with the fact that he was speaking (or, as the moment would have it, not speaking but staring like a beached fish) at the most powerful enchanter in the world.

_Pleasure,_ Eleanor got out, though her eyes looked ready to pop out of her head, so wide had they grown beneath her already-magnifying glasses.

Chrestomanci chatted lightly with the twins and the mayor occupied himself with papers on a desk in a corner and generally stayed out of things. They talked about magic, school, London, books, and all manner of topics that Anthony couldn't quite remember afterwards. They all might have been painfully dull, but Chrestomanci had a quiet yet eager intensity that electrified the atmosphere. It wasn't until after Anthony and Eleanor were shooed off to bed by Mrs. Greene that he realized Chrestomanci reminded him of a boy, and were he Anthony's own age he'd be obliged to play foot with him. This thought seemed rather blasphemous, what with Chrestomanci being the greatest enchanter in all the world, but it remained stuck in his mind. When he voiced this observation to Eleanor, she told him to stop obsessing over foot and go to sleep.

-

"We've finally gotten a wire through to your mother," the mayor announced happily at breakfast the next morning.

Anthony nearly dropped the crumpet he'd been buttering. "How is she?"

"She's well, she's well. And so's your father, she wanted me to tell you."

"We're going home then?" Anthony asked. He didn't want to seem ungrateful, but he was fully ready to go back to London.

The mayor's smile shrank slightly. "...No, actually - "

Anthony and Eleanor shot each other alarmed looks. They'd both fallen into the Greene household rhythm and the elderly couple were very kind, but they didn't think they could take much more than a few weeks of the constant doting and mothering and cheek-pinching smiles.

"- Chrestomanci sent a wire to your mother as well, and it's been arranged that you will be living with him instead," the mayor concluded.

"_What!" _ Anthony and Eleanor had both voiced it simultaneously.

"They run something of a school there now... very selective, though. He's had hell - pardon me - a dreadful time getting the legislation through the parliament but it's finally been passed," the mayor continued, "and both he, your mother and ourselves thought it would be better for you to be living with other children, with a school curriculum tailored more to your... abilities."

Abilities? They could use magic, as could about a third of the rest of the world. Anthony didn't see anything particularly special about it. And he wasn't going back to London. His spirits sank.

_When are we leaving?_ Eleanor asked. After her show of telepathy in the drawing room the previous night she no longer felt the need to pretend she couldn't communicate.

The mayor checked his pocket watch. "In about ten minutes. Your trunks are in the hall."


End file.
